TAGGED AS:

DC Animated Movies In Order: How to Watch 55 Original and Universe Films

In 2007, DC kicked off their line of DCU Animated Original Movies, a more dark and adult-skewing franchise that has pleased comic book fans and has now grown to over 40 films! To help you navigate this impressive library, we’ve put together a guide on how to watch the DC animated movies in order!

In the beginning, the DCU animated original movies were mostly stand-alone (Superman: Doomsday, Wonder Woman, Batman: Under the Red Hood) or formed their own brief line-up like Year One combined with the two-part Dark Knight Returns.

But starting in 2013, the movies mainly stuck to a single continuity known as the DC Animated Movie Universe, a 16-part arc that starts with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and ending with 2020’s Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. Here’s how to watch the DC Animated Movie Universe in order:

  • Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
  • Justice League: War (2014)
  • Son of Batman (2014)
  • Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)
  • Batman vs. Robin (2015)
  • Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
  • Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
  • Justice League Dark (2017)
  • Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
  • Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)
  • The Death of Superman (2018)
  • Constantine: City of Demons (2018)
  • Reign of the Supermen (2019)
  • Batman: Hush (2019)
  • Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)
  • Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

Since then, the DC Universe Animated Original Movies have returned to standalone films (Batman: Soul of the Dragon, Injustice) and setting up the new Tomorrowverse, which includes Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Justice Society: World War II, the two-part Long Halloween, and Green Lantern: Beware My Power. In fact, the Tomorrowverse has gone on long enough to warrant its own bulleted list:

  • Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020)
  • Justice Society: World War II (2021)
  • Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One & Two (2021)
  • Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022)
  • Legion of Super-Heroes (2023)
  • Justice League: Warworld (2023)
  • Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One (2024)
  • Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two (2024)
  • Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three (2024)

Read on to see the DC Universe Animated Original Movies in order of release, including standalone, DC Animated Universe, and Tomorrowverse movies! —Alex Vo

 

#1

Superman: Doomsday (2007)
Tomatometer icon 57%

#1
Adjusted Score: 17957%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Man of Steel (Adam Baldwin) battles an intergalactic killer, accidentally unearthed by a corporation.... [More]
Starring: Adam Baldwin, Anne Heche, James Marsters, Tom Kenny
Directed By: Bruce Timm, Lauren Montgomery, Brandon Vietti

#2
#2
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Superman, Batman (Jeremy Sisto), Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern (David Boreanaz), the Flash (Neil Patrick Harris) and others form an... [More]
Starring: Jeremy Sisto, David Boreanaz, Neil Patrick Harris, Brooke Shields
Directed By: Dave Bullock

#3
#3
Adjusted Score: 26977%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Dark Knight (Kevin Conroy) battles Scarecrow, Killer Croc and Deadshot.... [More]
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Gary Dourdan, David McCallum, Parminder Nagra
Directed By: Yasuhiro Aoki, Futoshi Higashide, Toshiyuki Kubooka, Hiroshi Morioka

#4

Wonder Woman (2009)
Tomatometer icon 85%

#4
Adjusted Score: 49684%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A powerful woman (Keri Russell) fights fellow Amazons to return a man (Nathan Fillion) back to civilization.... [More]
Starring: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Virginia Madsen
Directed By: Lauren Montgomery

#5
#5
Adjusted Score: 22661%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Green Lantern (Christopher Meloni) must race against time to stop Sinestro (Victor Garber) from unleashing a sinister plot.... [More]
Starring: Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen
Directed By: Lauren Montgomery

#6
#6
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Superman (Tim Daly) and Batman join forces to save the world from Lex Luthor's (Clancy Brown) evil plot.... [More]
Starring: CCH Pounder, Allison Mack, Clancy Brown, John C. McGinley
Directed By: Sam Liu

#7
#7
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On a parallel planet, Superman (Mark Harmon), Batman (William Baldwin) and the other heroes must battle their evil counterparts.... [More]
Starring: Mark Harmon, William Baldwin, Chris Noth, Gina Torres
Directed By: Sam Liu, Lauren Montgomery

#8
#8
Adjusted Score: 45231%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Batman faces a vigilante who aims to clean up Gotham City but does not follow his moral code.... [More]
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Neil Patrick Harris, Jensen Ackles, Jason Isaacs
Directed By: Brandon Vietti

#9
#9
Adjusted Score: 4523%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Superman (Tim Daly) and Batman (Kevin Conroy) join forces to save a Kryptonian visitor from the evil Darkseid (Andre Braugher).... [More]
Starring: Summer Glau, Ed Asner, Tim Daly, Andre Braugher
Directed By: Lauren Montgomery

#10

All-Star Superman (2011)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#10
Adjusted Score: 17871%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Superman (James Denton) ponders his future after a rescue mission to the sun exposes him to radiation.... [More]
Starring: James Denton, Anthony LaPaglia, Christina Hendricks, Matthew Gray Gubler
Directed By: Sam Liu

#11
#11
Adjusted Score: 17871%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: New recruit Arisia (Elisabeth Moss) joins forces with Hal Jordan (Nathan Fillion) to save the universe from the forces of... [More]
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Jason Isaacs, Elisabeth Moss, Henry Rollins
Directed By: Christopher Berkeley, Lauren Montgomery, Jay Oliva

#12

Batman Year One (2011)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#12
Adjusted Score: 35788%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne (Ben McKenzie) fights his new nemesis, Catwoman (Eliza Dushku), while lawman James Gordon (Bryan Cranston) battles corruption in... [More]
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Benjamin McKenzie, Eliza Dushku, Jon Polito
Directed By: Sam Liu, Lauren Montgomery

#13

Justice League: Doom (2012)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#13
Adjusted Score: 31266%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Vandal Savage uses stolen information from Batman's secret files to mastermind a plan to exterminate the Justice League.... [More]
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Nathan Fillion
Directed By: Lauren Montgomery

#14
#14
Adjusted Score: 25949%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: New superpowerful heroes appear on the scene, but they soon run afoul of the Man of Steel (George Newbern) when... [More]
Starring: Robin Atkin Downes, George Newbern, Pauley Perrette, Tara Strong
Directed By: Michael Chang

#15
#15
Adjusted Score: 31266%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne (Peter Weller), now 55-years-old, comes out of retirement to don the cape and cowl. As Batman, he fights... [More]
Starring: Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, Wade Williams, Michael McKean
Directed By: Jay Oliva

#16
#16
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Batman and his new sidekick, Robin, deal with the Joker's newest plot, while Superman brings a global catastrophe to Gotham.... [More]
Starring: Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, David Selby, Paget Brewster
Directed By: Jay Oliva

#17

Superman: Unbound (2013)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#17
Adjusted Score: 25411%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Superman (Matt Bomer) battles Brainiac (John Noble) to save the Krypton city of Kandor, which is miniaturized and held aboard... [More]
Starring: Matt Bomer, Stana Katic, Molly C. Quinn, Alexander Gould
Directed By: James Tucker

#18
#18
Adjusted Score: 30493%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Flash causes a temporal ripple that creates a fractured reality where the Justice league has never formed, Superman does... [More]
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Ron Perlman, Cary Elwes, Kevin McKidd
Directed By: Jay Oliva

#19

Justice League: War (2014)
Tomatometer icon 57%

#19
Adjusted Score: 20664%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Superman (Alan Tudyk), Wonder Woman (Michelle Monaghan), Batman (Jason O'Mara) and other superheroes join forces to save Earth from Darkseid.... [More]
Starring: Alan Tudyk, Michelle Monaghan, Jason O'Mara, Justin Kirk
Directed By: Jay Oliva

#20

Son of Batman (2014)
Tomatometer icon 64%

#20
Adjusted Score: 36461%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Batman (Jason O'Mara) learns that he has a violent young son who was raised in secret by the League of... [More]
Starring: Jason O'Mara, Thomas Gibson, Morena Baccarin, Giancarlo Esposito
Directed By: Ethan Spaulding

#21
#21
Adjusted Score: 36357%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Batman (Kevin Conroy) must prevent the Joker (Troy Baker) from destroying Gotham City, while battling a new batch of villains... [More]
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Troy Baker, Matthew Gray Gubler, Neal McDonough
Directed By: Jay Oliva, Ethan Spaulding

#22
#22
Adjusted Score: 26526%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Aquaman (Matt Lanter) is forced to choose between the Justice League and Atlantis when Atlantean warriors invade Gotham City and... [More]
Starring: Matt Lanter, Sam Witwer, Jason O'Mara, Nathan Fillion
Directed By: Jay Oliva, Ethan Spaulding

#23

Batman vs. Robin (2015)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#23
Adjusted Score: 26315%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Damian Wayne has a hard time accepting his father's no-killing rule, and soon starts to believe his destiny lies within... [More]
Starring: Jason O'Mara, Stuart Allan, David McCallum, Sean Maher
Directed By: Jay Oliva

#24
#24
Adjusted Score: 37052%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In an alternate universe, the Justice League uses brutal force to maintain order on Earth. When scientists begin dying, the... [More]
Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Tamara Taylor, Jason Isaacs
Directed By: Sam Liu

#25

Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#25
Adjusted Score: 25689%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: With Batman missing, it's up to Dick Grayson to put on the cowl and protect Gotham.... [More]
Starring: Stuart Allan, Morena Baccarin, Steve Blum, Gaius Charles
Directed By: Jay Oliva

#26
#26
Adjusted Score: 20551%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Robin is forced to join the young super team and soon has to help lead them in a fight against... [More]
Starring: Sean Maher, Stuart Allan, Jon Bernthal, Taissa Farmiga
Directed By: Sam Liu

#27
#27
Adjusted Score: 36363%
Critics Consensus: This stilted retelling of the Joker's origin adds little to its iconic source material, further diminished by some questionable story additions that will have fans demanding justice for Barbara Gordon.
Synopsis: Batman (Kevin Conroy) must save Commissioner Gordon (Ray Wise) from the Joker's (Mark Hamill) twisted quest to drive him insane.... [More]
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Ray Wise, Tara Strong
Directed By: Sam Liu

#28

Justice League Dark (2017)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#28
Adjusted Score: 47162%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Batman forms Justice League Dark, a new team of dark arts specialists that is led by John Constantine. The team... [More]
Starring: Matt Ryan, Jason O'Mara, Camilla Luddington, Nicholas Turturro
Directed By: Jay Oliva

#29
#29
Adjusted Score: 29353%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The young super groups get a new member who seems to have ulterior motives as they take on the mercenary... [More]
Starring: Stuart Allan, Taissa Farmiga, Brandon Soo Hoo, Jake T. Austin
Directed By: Sam Liu

#30
#30
Adjusted Score: 35371%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Batman and Nightwing join forces with Harley Quinn to stop a global threat brought about by Poison Ivy and the... [More]
Starring: Melissa Rauch, Kevin Conroy, Paget Brewster, Robin Atkin Downes
Directed By: Sam Liu

#31
#31
Adjusted Score: 52980%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Batman scours the dark streets of Gotham City to find the elusive serial killer Jack the Ripper.... [More]
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Jennifer Carpenter, Scott Patterson, Yuri Lowenthal
Directed By: Sam Liu

#32
#32
Adjusted Score: 41447%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Amanda Waller forms a special squad full of incarcerated villains to retrieve a mystical object.... [More]
Starring: Christian Slater, Tara Strong, Vanessa Williams, Billy Brown
Directed By: Sam Liu

#33
#33
Adjusted Score: 76654%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Superman and the rest of the Justice League unite to battle a hulking monster named Doomsday -- but it's ultimately... [More]
Starring: Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Rainn Wilson, Rosario Dawson
Directed By: Sam Liu, Jake Castorena

#34
#34
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A decade after a tragic mistake, family man Chas and occult detective John Constantine set out to find a cure... [More]
Starring: Matt Ryan, Damian O'Hare, Laura Bailey, Emily O'Brien
Directed By: Doug Murphy

#35
#35
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A substitute Superman arrives following the real Superman's death.... [More]
Starring: Cameron Monaghan, Nathan Fillion, Rebecca Romijn, Rainn Wilson
Directed By: Sam Liu

#36
#36
Adjusted Score: 50397%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Justice League battles the Fatal Five.... [More]
Starring: Tara Strong, Diane Guerrero, Noel Fisher, Tom Kenny
Directed By: Sam Liu

#37

Batman: Hush (2019)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#37
Adjusted Score: 83008%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A mysterious villain tries to take down Batman.... [More]
Starring: Jason O'Mara, Jennifer Morrison, Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn
Directed By: Justin Copeland

#38
#38
Adjusted Score: 39426%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Wonder Woman embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue a troubled young girl from Villainy, Inc., a criminal organization that... [More]
Starring: Marie Avgeropoulos, Rosario Dawson, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Dorn
Directed By: Justin Copeland, Sam Liu

#39

Superman: Red Son (2020)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#39
Adjusted Score: 89115%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An alternate take on Superman portrays him as a Soviet hero after his rocket lands in the USSR.... [More]
Starring: Jason Isaacs, Amy Acker, Diedrich Bader, Paul Williams
Directed By: Sam Liu

#40
#40
Adjusted Score: 100177%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Following the decimation of Earth, the Justice League regroups to take on Darkseid and save the remaining survivors.... [More]
Starring: Jerry O'Connell, Shemar Moore, Tony Todd, Rebecca Romijn
Directed By: Matt Peters, Christina Sotta

#41
#41
Adjusted Score: 80663%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Young Clark Kent works as an intern at the Daily Planet while learning how to save the city of Metropolis.... [More]
Starring: Darren Criss, Alexandra Daddario, Zachary Quinto, Ike Amadi
Directed By: Chris Palmer

#42
#42
Adjusted Score: 75759%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Set in the midst of the swinging 1970s, this Elseworlds adventure finds Bruce Wayne training under a master sensei. It... [More]
Starring: Kelly Hu, Michael Jai White, Mark Dacascos, James Hong
Directed By: Sam Liu

#43
#43
Adjusted Score: 70159%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Justice Society of America, a group of heroes aiding the allies in World War 2, makes an ally from... [More]
Starring: Matt Bomer, Stana Katic, Matthew Mercer, Omid Abtahi
Directed By: Jeff Wamester

#44
#44
Adjusted Score: 100140%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: It's a dark time in Gotham City. Held hostage by the powerful Falcone crime family, the city is rife with... [More]
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Naya Rivera, Josh Duhamel, Billy Burke
Directed By: Chris Palmer

#45
#45
Adjusted Score: 81431%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Inspired by the iconic mid-1990s DC story from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two continues... [More]
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Naya Rivera, Josh Duhamel, Billy Burke
Directed By: Chris Palmer

#46
#46
Adjusted Score: 16277%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On an alternate earth, the Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane, sending Superman down a path of destruction.... [More]
Starring: Justin Hartley, Anson Mount, Laura Bailey, Zach Callison
Directed By: Matt Peters

#47

Catwoman: Hunted (2022)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#47
Adjusted Score: 41309%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, has no qualms about risking her nine lives when a prize like the world's most valuable... [More]
Starring: Elizabeth Gillies, Kirby, Lauren Cohan, Stephanie Beatriz
Directed By: Shinsuke Terasawa

#48
#48
Adjusted Score: 29693%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When a Power Ring is bestowed upon former Marine John Stewart, it leads him on a life-changing mission. With Justice... [More]
Starring: Aldis Hodge, Jimmi Simpson, Ike Amadi, Brian Bloom
Directed By: Jeff Wamester

#49
#49
Adjusted Score: 52969%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On his birthday, Jonathan Kent learns his dad is Superman and that he has superpowers of his own. He also... [More]
Starring: Jack Dylan Grazer, Jack Griffo, Troy Baker, Travis Willingham
Directed By: Matt Peters

#50
#50
Adjusted Score: 18065%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Supergirl must contend with a mysterious group called the Dark Circle as it searches for a powerful weapon held in... [More]
Starring: Meg Donnelly, Harry Shum Jr., Darren Criss, Matt Bomer
Directed By: Jeff Wamester

#51
#51
Adjusted Score: 60254%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Inspired by the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Richard Pace and Troy Nixey, Batman: The Doom That Came to... [More]
Starring: David Giuntoli, Tati Gabrielle, Gideon Adlon, Christopher Gorham
Directed By: Sam Liu

#52
#52
Adjusted Score: 18053%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Kidnapped and transported to a strange world, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman unite to form a resistance and lead the... [More]
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Darren Criss, Matt Bomer, Stana Katic
Directed By: Jeff Wamester

#53
#53
Adjusted Score: 49711%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Anti-Monitor (the Monitor's evil counterpart) is released into the DC Multiverse and begins to destroy the different Earths that... [More]
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Matt Bomer, Jensen Ackles, Stana Katic
Directed By: Jeff Wamester

#54
#54
Adjusted Score: 7207%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An endless army of shadow demons threatens to destroy the world and all parallel Earths. The only thing opposing them... [More]
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Darren Criss, Meg Donnelly, Stana Katic
Directed By: Jeff Wamester

#55
#55
Adjusted Score: 7067%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Anti-Monitor attacks the remaining Earths and their inhabitants. Heroes and villains across time and space join the Justice League... [More]
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Darren Criss, Corey Stoll, Meg Donnelly
Directed By: Jeff Wamester

Movie & TV News